Court of Appeal sides with London Bridge station developers

Author: Paul Smithson - 02 January 2013

The redevelopment of London Bridge station looks set to go ahead after the Court of Appeal dismissed an objection.

Russell Gray of Bermondsey had objected to the London Borough of Southwark's decision to allow the development, saying that their conclusion was based on an environmental statement that was flawed, reports planningresource.com - but this opinion was rejected on appeal.

Lord Justice Pill said: "The London Bridge District Town Centre is an opportunity area and there is evidence that the provision of new retail floor space was an acceptable, and indeed desirable, land use in planning policy terms."

The new train station design will mean existing railway arches and a listed train shed will be demolished, while a new concourse will be built. Mr Gray was also critical of London Mayor Boris Johnson's decision not to handle the matter personally, but Lord Justice Pill was supportive of this move.

He said: "The mayor's power to assume jurisdiction over planning applications is not to be lightly or routinely exercised. The decision not to intervene was taken on the basis of a comprehensive report and evaluation."

It is not only the area's train station that is undergoing construction work; according to london-se1.co.uk, a space next to London Bridge Bus Station will remain closed for a further three months to repair a collapsed sewer. The project was due to have been completed by Christmas Eve 2012.